A VILLAGE charity shop is celebrating its 10th anniversary and raising almost £500,000 for the hospice.

The Ardgowan Hospice Shop in Kilmacolm marked a decade of successful trading with a series of events and promotions.

The store is manned by a dedicated team of volunteers who have helped to make the shop a big success over the years.

Rosie Thirde has volunteered at the shop since it launched, after being inspired to get involved when her friends David and Celia Craig opened it.

She said: “It’s such a good cause and it’s a nice way to see people in the village.

“It’s a pleasure to work here and all the volunteers are very friendly.

“We have some lovely donations, people in the village are very generous.

“We’ve raised almost half a million over the years.”
Linda Kelly, retail development manager with the hospice, was swift to praise the local community for its support.

She said: “The hospice would like to thank everyone who has donated goods and shopped in the store.

“Over the 10 years almost £500,000 has been raised with profits funding vital specialist hospice care to the people of Inverclyde. 

“Living with a life-limiting illness such as heart failure, cancer or neurological conditions can be devastating. 

“Thanks to the generosity of the local community, patients and their families can get the support and care they need."

Ardgowan Hospice receives around 40 per cent of its income through statutory funding, with the remaining 60 per cent coming from the community.

The hospice is always looking for new volunteers and has a range of opportunities open to them, including the shops, patient transport, or kitchen work.

Anyone interested in signing up should email hr@ardhosp.co.uk or call 726830.